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All Sides of Death With Dignity Act to be Explored During Rutgers Law–Camden Forum March 27

CAMDEN — The Rutgers School of Law–Camden will host three moderated discussions by area proponents and opponents of the Death With Dignity Act, which has been made law in Washington and Oregon, and was cleared as a bill by the New Jersey Assembly last month.

Sponsored by Rutgers Law–Camden’s Health Law Society, Criminal Justice Association, Association for Public Interest Law, and Trusts and Estates Society, as well as the Camden County Bar Association, the Death With Dignity Act Forum will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27.

Confirmed panelists featured in the first session, “Proponents of the Act,” include Assemblyman John Burzichelli, Deputy Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly and the bill’s sponsor; Joseph Primo, associate executive director of Good Grief; and David Leven, executive director of Compassion & Choices, New York.

Confirmed panelists featured in the second session, “Opponents of the Act,” include Patrick R. Brannigan, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference; Joseph F. Fennelly, chair of the Bioethics Committee of the Medical Society of New Jersey; and Kathleen Gialanella, a practicing attorney and a registered nurse.

A third session will feature an exchange of discussion between panelist proponents and opponents of the Death With Dignity Act.

The Death With Dignity Forum has been coordinated by Leah DiMatteo, a second-year law student at Rutgers Law–Camden, and will be moderated by William Isele, Of Counsel to the law firm of Archer & Greiner, P.C.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held in room 106 of the Law School Complex, located at Fifth and Penn Sts. on the Rutgers–Camden campus. Directions to Rutgers–Camden are available at camden.rutgers.edu/page/visit-campus.

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